Rug: Abacus Calypso 42102, £149, wallpaper: Candy 70507 and Best of Friends, both £30 a roll, curtains: Best of Friends 120128, £30 metre, upholstery: Mimi Check 130780, £26 a metre, cushions and throw: a selection of fabrics from the Mimi Checks & Stripes Collection, all Harlequin

Put the fun into a country children’s room with lively mismatched patterns and punchy colours to chase away those ‘grey day’ blues. And here’s a scheme that’s sure to appeal to little girls who are past the princess stage but still want a girly and cute space when their friends come round for a sleepover.

This is a room that’s full of ‘must-have’ ingredients. Stylish young ladies will love the feature wall and curtain fabric by Harlequin that’s adorned with rows of hand-holding friends, while a plain wall is great for showing off children’s treasured artwork. A country feel is added with colourful checks and stripes, a statement Louis XV chair and traditional-style cast iron beds. Don’t forget to make playing on the floor extra comfy with a rug inspired by abacus beads and plumped-up floor cushions.

Decorex and Focus, two of the key interior design events of the year, were inspiring places to be yesterday. Humming with stands and showrooms previewing the best fabrics, wallpapers, paints, lighting and furniture, these shows are a melting pot of home-grown talent and global brands and the places to shortlist the best emerging trends for country style. Here’s a quick sneak peek at some of the things I loved…

Understated natural shades are ever popular and this gorgeous country bedroom incorporates a delicate colour palette of whites, neutrals and soft limed pastels to create a relaxing, pared-down retreat.

The fabrics and wallpaper are from Harlequin‘s new Poetica collection, which is sure to appeal to nature lovers as they are inspired by the English countryside. Reminiscent of a nature lover’s scrapbook, whimsical prints include botanical studies with a contemporary edge, plus distressed-look textured printed plains, embroideries, weaves, appliqués and floaty linen voiles to accompany them. Wallcoverings, such as this weathered wood-effect design, form an eyecatching backdrop to the botanical motifs.

For maximum effect, make the centrepiece of the scheme a beautiful cream wrought-iron bed and add extra character with eclectic pieces such as the wonderful vintage wirework table.

Decorating a child’s room can be such fun, and here’s a little boy’s room that ticks the boxes for its mix of coastal and country style and is guaranteed to appeal to both kids and the young at heart.

The sailboat wallpaper and curtain fabric from Harlequin will get certainly get little ones in the mood for summer holidays, while the sail hanging from the ceiling is a simple yet eyecatching way of giving an ordinary bed the wow factor. Adding in toning striped and checked fabrics varies the look and prevents it from becoming overthemed.

When it comes to country children’s rooms, toy storage is always an issue and these lovely lidded wicker under-the-bed storage baskets fit the bill as they’re attractive as well as practical. Perhaps a room like this will even make bedtime more appealing…

Curtains and bedlinen: Sail Away 120231 £30 a metre; Blind: Boogie Woogie 130766 £26 a metre; cushions: from a selection from All About Me; sail above bed and upholstered cube: Mimi Check 130783 £26 a metre; wallpaper: Sail Away 110531 £30 a roll; all All About Me by Harlequin

When it’s cold and grey outside, the perfect antidote is to decorate with comforting rich and warm colours.

And if you’re planning a spot of entertaining, these opulent weaves from Harlequin, with a nod towards global style and a vibrant twist of colour, help create a cosy atmosphere that’s perfect for a modern country dining room.

Complete the look with dark grey or black furniture to give a contemporary edge and team with a stunning metallic texture wallpaper for an opulent backdrop.

Curtains in Array 130738, £36 a metre; upholstery in Chevron 130663, £46 a metre; Twill in 130639, £40 a metre; wallpaper in Element Texture, £45 a roll; all Harlequin

If the usual shop-bought felt stockings feel a bit uninspiring, why not have a go at making your own? This fabulous trio feature in our new January issue and are made from a heady mix of faux fur, designer fabrics, bobble trims, fringing and beads.

They’re so glorious they make decorations in their own right – hang them in the hallway and they’ll be a wonderful welcoming sight for guests and visitors.

Our instructions are for the design on the right, but you can easily adapt them to make any – or all! – of the three shown. Happy sewing!

Our designer stocking (on the right) features a Romo fabric and trims from Designers Guild and Harlequin

If you like this idea we have lots more easy craft projects for you to try and for those who love country recipes, craft and room ideas, take a look at our new Country Home Ideas app.

With the weather misbehaving this week it’s nice to be inside, but since it’s summer it’s also nice to look into the garden, even if it’s too rainy to actually go out into it. It makes our window dressing feature, page 62-67 in our July issue of Country Homes & Interiors all the more relevant. We came up with lots of ideas for linking the home to the garden through innovative and pretty ways to dress the windows, from café and ribbon curtains, to indoor window boxes, to stickers, to design your own digital blinds. We hope you’ll enjoy reading our feature as a great antidote to the naughty English weather!

This week I attended the launch of exciting new fabric and wallpaper brand Scion, with its fabulous debut collection Melinki. Scion is the trend savvy sister brand to Harlequin and aims to create a fresher, more fashionable modern feel to interiors.

Drawing inspiration from the countryside the core designs are a fun interpretation of all things woodland ­– from furry creatures to abstract leaf prints. Overall this debut collection is an eclectic mix of feel-good graphics with a nod to Scandinavian style. Team with jazzy stripes and block colours to bring an element of fun to any room in your home.

I think the fantastic Mr Fox is my personal favourite, which is yours?

Lampshades (left to right) Mr Fox, £25 a metre; Sorbus, £25 a metre; Woodland, £25 a metre; Blocks, £25 a metre; Lunaria, £25 a metre; Strata, £29 a metre; Rosehip, £25 a metre, all from the Melinki collection by Scion.

Fabrics, all from the Melinki collection by Scion.

p.s Feel-good factor- all its fabrics and wallpapers are manufactured here in the UK!

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